Melissa Mark-Viverito Is Your Next City Council Speaker

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Photo: Julissa Ferreras/Twitter

It has long looked like City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito, an early Bill de Blasio supporter, would become the next city council speaker after she gained De Blasio's backing. And on Wednesday, despite rivals' last-minute accusations of black magic and inappropriate use of city subsidies, that's what happened. Shortly before the meeting at which the council planned to elect a speaker, Councilman Dan Garodnick, her main opponent for speaker, conceded the race, "in the spirit of strengthening the council, which animated my candidacy from the start." So the council went ahead and unanimously voted in Mark-Viverito. The loser here: The New York Times editorial board, which advocated against Mark-Viverito after previously endorsing Christine Quinn in the mayoral race. Way to call it.